The Kimball graphic. (Kimball, Brule County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1905, 1887-04-08

to tell the truth, ] felt awful squeam-
ish myself. Still it wouldn't do for
the skipper to show the white feather;
30 made bold to go out there myself
to the bow and see what was the mat
ter, for the men were 80 white about
the gilis 'twn'nt no use to send them.
4 ~ expected to see somethin' mighty
uncomfortable, but Pm freeto confess
I'd no idce should see what did.
AS Hooked over the bow l discov-
cred q young girl a-sitting on the stay
and hanging on to the martingale
for dear life to keep from being wash
ed away as the ship plunged in tho
tremendous white foam that boiled
up clean over her knightheads.
"It couldn't be mermaid, even
though her long hair sareamed in the
wind and her arms were long and
white as they glistened in the light OF
the moon; for ] knew there warnt no
mermaids. But blessed if could see
how woman could have got there,
and in such weather, too.
Gas the bow rose high in the air on
a big sea, she looked up and saw me
looking at her.
.eThen she screamed, Save me! Save
mel
"Then knew she was woman. l
didn't stop on more to think how she
got there, but just felt as if ] was
made OF IRON and as If there was the
spirit of q dozen men in me. letmy-
self down over the bobstay, ! passed
my right arm around her waist.
las the ship dove into q tremen-
dous sea I said to her. quickly, Hold
fastl and when, almost drownded,
we rose with the ship high up in the
air, said, Now thenp and just rails
ed her up as il she was q feather, and
in another second lifted her over the
bow.
when the men saw me come back
with the mermaid, they hurried along
the slippery deck to see what it was
like. Warrant you they felt sheepish
enough when they saw how they had
been scared by poor weak, shivering
| girl, drenched with salt water. And
they had reason, too, on their sides,
for who'd expect to find woman
clinging to the martingale in such a
night2
"The poor creetur' was now all in O
faint, so we lifted her carefully and
carried her aft into the cabin. Sal
started up when she saw me bringing a
woman In my arms, with her long silk
en- tresses hanging like wet seaweed
over my shoulders.
"'For the lands sake, Silas, what
have you got there2' she cried out.
HBnt she didn't stop to talk, but
took hold at once when she esaw 1t was
a hali-drownded girl. She laid a pill
low under her head, and chafed her
temples and her ieet, and we poured u
little brandy down her throat, and
soothed and coddled her, and by m
by the mermaid came to, and calls out
crazy.like, as she opens her eyes,
Where am II o father! Oh, save
rnel''
.Sal comforted and petted and
soothed her, and held her in her arms
until she fell to sleep. The gale lasted
| two days and then came around lair
for port.
strength slowly. Then she told us She
WAS and English lady named Alice
Grey, who had been on n bark going
to the West Indies, with her father.
The vessel sprung d leak and they
| had taken to the boats. In the squall
our brig had run down the boat che
| was in. As the shipdove into the sea
the girl had caught hold OF the mar
| tlngale and clung to it with q grip of
despair, while the boat, with her faith
er and all its crew, was swept from her
sight.
"She was a strong English girl, fair
and handsome as picter. She had
friends in England who were rich.
Wien we got to Boston the owners OF
the brig bought passage for the poor
lady home to England in a steamer.
'The tears ran from her eyes when
she bade me goodbye. She threw her
arms around my old wrinkled neck,
and kissed me, and said, Capt. Burn
ham, never shall forget the good,
kind, daring man who risked his life
to save me'
"Then she broke away and ran to
her state-room,
"a few weeks after, I received let
ters from this true English girl and
her family, and package, wich con-
tanned this ERE gold watch with my
name engraved on the back of it.
'sThere, boys, that's the nearest l
ever came to seeing a mermaid"